Rick Moranis Turned Down a Role in New ‘Ghostbusters’ Movie, Says Reboot “Just Makes No Sense”

So far, all of the surviving original Ghostbusters cast members — Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts — have returned to make cameo appearances in the upcoming reboot. Everyone, that is, expect Rick Moranis. The actor who played Louis Tully in Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II mostly retired from the public eye and hasn’t acted in a live-action feature since 1997, but revealed that he was approached to return for the Ghostbusters reboot and he swiftly turned them down.

Moranis gave a rare interview to The Hollywood Reporter to talk about his retirement and what exactly he’s been up to in the past 18-or-so years (short version: he become a stay-at-home Dad after his wife died of breast cancer). He says he wasn’t technically retired, just taking a break, and now that his kids have grown, he’s ready to get back in front of the camera. Just not in that new Ghostbusters movie. He explains:

I wish them well. I hope it’s terrific. But it just makes no sense to me. Why would I do just one day of shooting on something I did 30 years ago?

Uhhh, that’s actually a really good point and we don’t have an answer to that question. Murray, Aykroyd, et al. are likely participating over some sense of obligation to the franchise and because they mostly seem to enjoy what director Paul Feig is doing with the new franchise. But, these are all actors who have been working consistently in the intervening years. It would feel a little weird for Moranis to come out of pseudo-retirement to work for one day.

Moranis does say that he’s starting to get more offers and that he continues to entertain returning to acting full-time. “As soon as one comes along that piques my interest, I’ll probably do it. [But Ghostbusters] didn’t appeal to me.” He had previously said in 2013 about a role in a new Ghostbusters movie, “I wouldn’t not do it, but it’s got to be good.” We’ll put two and two together and assume he’s not wild about the direction of the new Ghostbusters movie. Moranis says now that he’s purposely being very selective. “Yes, I am picky, and I’ll continue to be picky. Picky has worked for me.”

While we know know that the majority of the cast will be returning for Ghostbusters, we still don’t know what roles they’ll be playing. Feig has repeatedly said that the new film reboots the mythology and takes place in a world where the original Ghostbusters — Venkman, Egon, Ray and Winston — never existed. Whatever they’ll be doing, they’ll be doing it without Rick Moranis.